Drawing or sketching board



Nov. 21, 1950 A. J. ENsoR' DRAWING OR SKETCHING BOARD 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1948 M 5 N N W W m Nov. 21, 1950 A. J. ENSOR DRAWING 0R SKETCHING BOARD Filed Feb. 16; 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 fix THU/9.7mm Z'MSOK BY I Noviz'l, 1950 Filed Feb. 10, 1948 A. J. ENSOR 2,530,605

DRAWING 0R SKETCHING BOARD 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 21, 1950 A. J. ENSOR 2,530,605

DRAWING 0R SKETCHING BOARD Filed Feb. 10, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 21, 1950 A. J. ENSOR 2,530,605

DRAWING OR SKETCHING BOARD Filed Feb. 10, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 /NVEN TOT fife wok ZJH/Y INJQ/Q Nov. 21, 1950 A. J- ENSOR DRAWING 0R SKETCHING BOARD 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 10, 1948 Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application-February 10, 1948, Serial No. 7,447

" In Great Britain February 12,1947

My present invention is concerned with drawing or sketching boards and has for itsgeneral object, the provision of a board which can .be readily adapted to suit a varietyvof circumstances and in particular the difiering conditions of outdoor use.

Basically the present invention provides a board with pivotal stays carrying a coverwhich can thereby :be supported over the top surface of the board, such stays preferably being also capable of swinging back beneath the board as props or tilters. The construction may be such as to permit of various positions of adjustment for different purposes as hereinafter described. The said cover may comprise orconsistof asF-at made of plywood or other sufficiently stiff material, preferably in association with a flexiblecontinuation of waterproof fabric orthe like extending at least to the head of theboardalongor behind which it may be secured. The stays may each be pivotally connected to a side ed e of the board and also to the corresponding edge or the slat,one at least of such pivots on either side v being preferably of a type whichcan beclamped in any desired position'of adjustment The ,effective length of the stays betweenthe pivotsmay be varied if desired as by slotting the stays to permit of adjustment of one or both pivots vof each stay along it.

The alternative function of the stay supports as props or tilters is primarily intended to em able the boardtobe used by a seated .draftsman with the near edge of the board resting on his knees and its head supported at the requiredim clination for which purpose the length of the legs may be made individually adjustable to suit irconvenientlybe used to mount the aforesaid slat between them. The battens or other suitable parts associated with the slat may alsoserve as ,feet when the sta s are thrown back as props .or-tilters and may form mountings ioregtensible legs by means of which their efiectivelength for th s pu p e a be co s derably ncr s In orde to e s re ufi ient rigidity it is ou desirableto provide the board with triangulated pivotal .stay supports permitting sliding move- :mentat one or more of the pivots as by slotting atleast one ofthemembers of each-trian ulated 19 Claims. (CL-115F131) support, If the triangulated stay supports have each just one slideable pivot it isonly necessary for-that single pivot to be clamped in order to fix the structure. Such a support may 6.0m:

prise two members connected to the board at the ,Slideahle pivo so that one Wing nut, Or the l k s a d with each support is siuficient both to clamp the la er in ny desir posi ion and als to the. a eula ity of hezslator batten- .Ea h trian u ated supp t p eferably includes amain stay pivoted toan intermediate point along th side edge .of the boa d and a ted link pivoted at the corner head on the same side of the board. It is found to assist manipulation of the supports if the two main stays and/or the two slotted links are in er-connected as by making the pairof themor each pair rigid with a pivotaltiebar extending across theboard so that the stay supports on both sides move tog-e her- By means of pivotal stays according to themvention a protective cover carried thereby may be collapsed into closeproximitywith the surface of the board, or it may be held sufiiciently spaced above the latter as a shield for a we pa tin left on its surface; or it may be held eI-BCteda-s a shield or shade againstlight rain orgla-raper- 'mitting the user to workbeneath it Without in,-

terfering with his view over and beyond it; or it ma b he bove the h ad of t board as a suppo t for a panel when pai tin in oil, eav ing the board itself available for the paletteand other accessories. For all these purposes, the stiffening of the cover, or of part thereof, held ext nded betwe n battens or in the o o a r id la ndpivo aliymcunteden-thestay supports at intermediate points along the said that? tens or along the side edges :of the said slat, is

n ad nta e,

Where the slat or otherwise stiffened portion .of the cover is associated with a flexible "con.-

tinuation in thomanner already mentioned, the spacing between the far edge of the :slat and the head of the board over which the flexiblematerial extends determines the maximum height to which the saidfar edge of the slat can beraised above the board when the cover is erected as a shi d a co eque he angle of the outward slope of the slat which is preferable in that position. Most conveniently, thecombineddepth of the slat and of the: flexible material substantiallyequals the depth of the board, thusner,

3 mitting the near edge of the slat when collapsed to extend up to near that of the board. Instead of being attached along the head of the board, the flexible portion of the cover is preferably continued at least part of the way across the back face of the board, such extension being of use if desired to form a portfolio. For this purpose the fiexible material may be secured around three edges of the back face of the board, leaving the head of the latter over which it extends to the slat, free from fixing so that a mouth is formed for the insertion of drawing paper, finished drawings and the like into the portfolio, where they are held protected in close proximity with the back of the board. It is preferable for the fixing of the flexible material to the side edges of the back of the board, not to extend right up to the head, since to be able to open back the material from the board, facilitates insertion and removal of papers, and may also in some cases be necessary to provide enough looseness in the fabric to allow of the stays being thrown back under the board into their position as props or tilters. The flexible material may of course be continued over the slat so that in the collapsed state, both faces of the board are completely covered thereby,

It is desirable for the cover to remain throughout the range of movement of the stays with the same side always upwardly or outwardly facing, so that the near or inner surface can be kept as clean and dry as possible. Accordingly, the battens or slat will preferably be adapted to pass over the head of the board with the stays without being subject to reversal, from which it follows that in the collapsed position of the cover, the feet on the battens or slat will preferably be directed up the board. Projecting parts of the battens or slat may extend unattached to the flexible material beyond the stiffened portion of the cover and may carry the aforementioned extensible legs in their open mouths. These projections may also be provided with stop pins for engaging the stays so as to prevent the near end of the cover from swinging out.

The invention will now be particularly described as embodied in the constructional form which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, whereof Figure 1 is a front plan view of one side half of the board with the cover (partly broken away) shown collapsed down onto it.

Figure 2 is a rear plan view of the other side half of the board with the flexible cover omitted.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View to a larger scale of one of the side battens of the stiff portion or slat of the cover and of its pivot;

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing in full line the cover when in position erected as a shield over the board, and other possible positions indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 5 is a detail View to a larger scale, showing in its various operative positions one of the combined cover grips and spacers which are provided on either side of the board for engaging the batten pivots,

Figure 5a showing one of the plates per se;

Figure 6 is a detail to a larger scale showing one of the spring hooks provided at the ends of the board head for holdin the side battens against it when in use as props or tilters, whilst Figures 711- are a series of perspective views showing the board in various possible operative positions numbered to correspond with those of Figure 4, Figure 79 being an additional view 4. showing how access is obtained to the portfolio behind the board.

The board I shown in the drawings is provided with metal strip reinforcement 2 along its edges. At an intermediate point 3 on each side edge of the board is pivoted a main stay 4 spaced sufficiently away from such edge to leave room for the slotted link 5 which is rigid with a cross tie 6 (see Figure 6) pivotally mounted on the head of the board across which it extends so that the links will swing together. At the outer end of the stay 4 is a connection with link 5 in the form of a pin 8 permitting relative pivotal movement of both stay and link and also sliding movement of the pin along slot 1 of the link. Figure 4 shows the resulting pivotal movement which is permitted to the stay and link about their respective pivots. If the distance from pivot 6 of the link up to the near end of the slot 1 of the latter is w and the length of the slot in, the large outer circle shown Gil centred about pivot 6 is of radius w+zr and the small inner concentric circle is of radius 10. It is clear that the stay l must be capable of swinging round on its pivot 3 so that pin 8 will move alon the third circle shown touching both the others in the plane of the board. If y is the distance between pivots'fi and S and the radius of this third circle is 2, equal to the effective length of the stay, then the following relationships hold:

Each pin 8 carries an inwardly projecting forked end 9 within which is secured a metal channel part l0 forming a side batten of the cover. Between these battens extends across the board the stiff slat or panel part I! of the cover with rigid reinforcing strips l2 and it along its near and far edges. The battens l6 extend some way beyond the far edge of the slat ll towards the head of the board, these projectin portions l6 being unattached to the flexible material and therefore capable of acting as legs or feet. An

7 extending leg [5 for this purpose is housed slideably in each batten IS with its end in the open mouth of the projecting portion l4 thereof. A clamping pin l5a is used to fix and control the extension of this leg from the housing. To secure good balance the battens ii? are supported about midway along their length in the forked carriers 9 in such a way that in the fully collapsed position of the cover the IBlllfOIClllg strip l3 lies closely adjacent the near edge of the board. Clamping nuts [6 on pins 8 suiiice both to lock the triangulated supports as well as the battens IQ (and slat I i) in any desired angular position about the said pins.

The cover is continued beyond reinforcing strip l2 by the flexible waterproof material I! (which preferably also extends right over slat ll up to strip [3), loosely, i. e. unattached along its edges, over the head of the board to points 18 on each side of the back of the board adjacent pivots 3 of the main stays. From these points the attachment of the flexible material is continuous along the side edges and the near edge to form a portfolio behind the board with its mouth opening towards the head thereof (see Figure 79). The complete covering of the board on both faces with the waterproof material is also ensured in its fully collapsed position (see Figure 7a). As shown in Figure l the looseness of the flexible portion I? of the cover about the head of the board is sufiicient to allow of the required swinging'of the slat ll.

'aseaeos s It also acts as an automatic limit to the angle-cf outward slope of the slat when the cover is erected as a shield (see Figure 70). It should be noted that in position of Figure '4 the flexible portion of the cover is not near-corner of the board and also adjacent the pivot 3 of ea'chmain stay so that the sling, when connected (detachably by'means of clip hooks 22) between pairs of these links does not interfere with the manipulation of the cover slat. For suspension over the shoulder when carrying the board in its collapsed state, the slin may :if desire'dbe'att'ached between adjacent links instead of between a diagonally opposite pair.

To prevent the board from resting inconven- -ie-ntly close to the body when slung for use, its

near edge is provided with collapsible spacing means. For this purpose, a pair of struts 23 are mounted pivotally so that they can be swung out from the edge of the board and in the general plane thereof. In order to ensure these struts being "sufliciently rigid, the inner end 2-4 of each should project beyond the pivot 25 and be arranged to swing into a recess 26 of the board as the outer end is extended into operative position. These recesses will be in the form of sectors of circles. They are .formed in the under face of the board (see Figure 2) and covered over with thin sheet metal 21. As in use, the stresses on the struts tend to cause them to approach one another, they are mounted to fold back outwardly against the edge of the board. Furthermore, in the extended position of the struts, the inner end of each abuts against a stop as for instance a radial side 28 of the recess in which it moves. A flexible strap 29 is used between the outer ends of the struts when extended to engage against the users body. This strap also provides for extension as a belt around the body when additional security is required. A holder 30 is provided for holding the strap 29 to the edge of the board when the struts are collapsed. The struts may also be of assistance gripped between the knees when used by a seated draftsman (see Figure '70).

When the slat is erected as a shield, additional protection may be afforded by using side flaps (one of which is indicated at 3| in Figure '70) adapted to fill in the openings between the edges of the slat with its flexible extension and those of the board. If desired, these flaps may be made capable of being folded down out of use onto the surface of the board, whilst for holding them extended, the edges of the flaps may be slotted to engage the pivot pins or other suitable projecting parts of the slat.

To permit of only partial collapsing (see Figure 7b) of the slat and attached flexible cover so that they can be held clear of the surface of the board for the purpose already mentioned, spacers 32 (see especially Figure 5) may be provided to cooperate with pins 8. These spacers may take the form of plates pivotally mounted on the side edges of the board at the points where these pins close down onto them so that, when swung up, the plates present slots 33 for the pivot pins to engage. The same plates may also be used as especially Figure 6).

fastenings for holding the cover fully collapsed down onto the front of the board in which position the said pins may be engaged in other slots 34 of theplates so disposed that these circumstances the plates can act as clamping toggles. The same slots can be used to clamp the pins similarly in order to hold the cover against the under face of the board (see Figure 7f) When the cover is swung over so that the supports act as props or tilters, the top ends of the battens areh'eld'against the head of the board by means of the spring hooks 35 on either side (see Ilhese permit the battens to adjust themselves longitudinally as required by variation in the angle at which the stay supports are set for this purpose (see Figure 4, position er). Spring clips 36 may be provided (as where shown in Figure 1) on the undersideof the cover slat for holding an oil colour panel against it when adjusted to its vertical positionabove the headni the board (see Figure 7d).

'The series of sketches shown in Fig-urefll-are thought to require no further explanation than is contained in the foregoing description.

tens seas to becapable of being either collapsed into close proximity with the top surface :of the board, :or alternatively held as a cover or shad Over it.

2. A drawing orlike board according to claim l, including a stiff slat of the cover zcarriedx-by the battens.

'3. A drawing or like board according to claim =l, wherein the battens are interconnected so as to be movable substantially together.

4. A drawing or like board according to claim 1, wherein the stays are also adapted to be swung back beneath the board as props or tilters, and wherein the battens are then adapted to serve as feet.

5. A drawing or like board according to claim 4, having extensible legs mounted on the battens.

6. A drawing or like board provided with pivotal stays, and a cover slat mounted on said stays, whereby it is adapted to be either collapsed into close proximity with the top surface of the board or alternatively held lifted entirely clear of the board as a cover or shade over it.

'7. A drawing or like board according to claim 6, including a flexible continuation of the cover slat extending at least to the head of the board, along or behind which it is secured.

8. A drawing or like board according to claim 6, wherein the stays are also adapted to be swung back beneath the board as props or tilters.

9. A drawing or like board according to claim 6, provided with pivotal stays on either side of the board, at least one pivotal connection of each of which stays is adapted to be clamped in any desired position of adjustment.

10. A drawing or like board according to claim 9, wherein the effective length of the stays between the pivotal connections thereof with the board and batten respectively, is adapted to be varied, as by slotting the stays to permit of adjustment of such pivotal connections along them.

11. A drawing or like board provided with supports, each comprising triangulated pivotal stay members permitting sliding movement of one or more of the pivots as by slotting at least one of the members of each triangulated support, and a cover carried by the said supports so as to be capable of'being either collapsed into close proximity with the top surface of the board, or alternatively held as a shield or shade over it.

12. A drawing or like board according to claim 11, wherein the triangulated stay supports each comprises two members connected to the board at spaced pivots and with a slideable pivot at their junction.

13. A drawing or like board according to claim 11, wherein a batten is carried by the slideable pivots so that one wing nut or the like associated with each support suffices both to clamp the latter in any desired position and also to fix the angularity of the slat or batten.

14. A drawing or like board according to claim 13, 'wherein each triangulated support includes a main stay pivoted to an intermediate point along the side edge of the board and a slotted link pivoted at the corner head on the same side of the board, the two main stays and/or the two slotted links being interconnected across the board so that the stay supports on both sides move together.

15. A drawing or like board according to claim 11, wherein the triangulated supports are adapted to be swung back beneath the board as props or tilters, with consequent sliding of the pivots of the said supports.

16. A drawing or like board provided with pivotal stays and a cover supported thereby, so as to be capable of being either collapsed into close proximity with the top surface of the board, or alternatively held as a shield or shade over it, which cover extends flexibly over the head of the board and the back face thereof.

1'7. A drawing or like board provided with pivotal stays and a cover supported thereby, so as to be capable of being either collapsed into close proximity with the top surface of the board, or alternatively held as a shield or shade over it, which cover is secured to the board to form a portfolio between itself and the back surface thereof.

18. A drawing or like board provided with pivotal stays and a cover supported thereby, so as to be capable of being either collapsed into close proximity with th top surface of the board, or alternatively held as a shield or shade over it, and wherein the said stays are also adapted to be swung back beneath the board as props or tilters, in such a way that the same side of the cover remains upwardly or outwardly facing throughout the movement of the stays.

19. A drawing or like board according to claim 18, including battens for supporting the cover mounted pivotally on the stays, and adapted to pass over the head of the board together with the stays and cover without being subject to reversal.

ARTHUR JOHN ENSOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,668,970 McAdam May 8, 1928 2,115,497 Mintz Apr. 26, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,939 Great Britain 1906 110,694 Switzerland July 16, 1925 424,589 France Mar. 1'7, 1911 

